Ball-and-socket joint

ABSTRACT

A ball-and-socket joint is provided with a joint housing which is open on at least one side with a housing recess, with a joint pin mounted in the housing recess with its joint ball provided with a surface protection. A pin section projects from a housing opening. A bearing shell is arranged between the joint housing and the joint ball. A sealing bellows is provided between the joint housing and the joint pin. A sealing element, which is under elastic pretension in sliding contact with the joint ball, is arranged between the joint housing and the joint ball.

[0001] Ball-and-socket joints are used in a great variety of areas, but especially in vehicle construction, in assembly units for the wheel suspension.

[0002] Such ball-and-socket joints comprise a joint housing with a housing recess, a joint pin, which is mounted in the housing recess with its joint ball provided with a surface protection and whose pin section projects from a housing opening. The joint ball is arranged in a bearing shell, which is necessary for the high loads acting on such joints in motor vehicles. Moreover, such ball-and-socket joints have a sealing bellows, which is provided between the joint housing and the joint pin.

[0003] It is very essential for the long-term function (long-term service life) of the ball-and-socket joint to take design measures which make possible a permanent lubrication with joint grease. The friction between the components movable in relation to one another is considerably reduced as a result. A sealing bellows is used as the grease reservoir in prior-art joints.

[0004] However, the sealing bellows is also indispensable for the sealing of the joint components of ball-and-socket joints for motor vehicles against contamination and environmental effects.

[0005] Another problem concerning the optimal functions of joints arises from the fact that motor vehicles are frequently cleaned with high-pressure cleaning units. It was observed that these units generate pressures which are able to lift off the sealing bellows from the joint components at least briefly and slightly. Leaks occurring as a result make possible the entry of undesired media into the interior of the joint.

[0006] The technical object of the present invention is to achieve improved sealing of the ball-and-socket joint against the penetration of contaminants or moisture between the bearing shell and the joint ball with optimized lubrication function of the movable joint components at the same time.

[0007] The technical object is accomplished according to the present invention with a ball-and-socket joint having the characteristic features of the principal claim 1.

[0008] It is thus proposed that a sealing element, which is under elastic pretension in sliding contact with the joint ball, be arranged between the joint housing and the joint ball.

[0009] It is essential for the practical applicability of the present invention to provide the joint ball with a surface protection, so that it has an extremely low roughness as well as corrosion protection as a consequence of this treatment, because this is the only guarantee to obtain a long service life of the sealing lip which is in sliding contact with the joint ball. The maximum surface roughness (Ry) should be approximately between 1 μm and 5 μm.

[0010] The present invention offers a number of advantages. Thus, two different types of grease can be used within the ball-and-socket joint without mixing having to be feared. A first type of lubricating grease with optimal lubricating and sliding properties is provided between the joint ball and the bearing shell, the sealing lip sealing the reservoir and holding it in this area of the joint. A second type of grease is accommodated in the sealing bellows and assumes mainly a sealing function.

[0011] The additional sealing element within the ball-and-socket joint thus guarantees not only optimal lubrication of the joint, but also an optimal sealing function at the same time, which is of considerable advantage over prior-art designs especially in case of the use of high-pressure cleaning units.

[0012] A ball-and-socket joint according to the present invention may sometimes even do entirely without a sealing bellows. At any rate, the efforts needed to achieve firm seating of the sealing bellows can, however, be reduced, so that it appears to be possible to eliminate the use of straining rings, as a result of which not only the number of components present, but also the efforts needed during the assembly of the ball-and-socket joints according to the present invention and consequently also the costs can be reduced.

[0013] Advantageous variants of the present invention are the subject of the subclaims.

[0014] Thus, provisions are made corresponding to another embodiment of the present invention for the sealing element to be designed as a ring made in one piece with the bearing shell, which ring establishes a sealing connection between the surface of the joint ball and the inner surface of the housing recess on the side of the housing opening. Such a sealing element design makes possible sealing between the joint ball and the joint housing in a simple manner, and the sealing element may be a sealing ring which is vulcanized or bonded on the open side of the bearing shell or a sealing ring prepared in one piece with the bearing shell according to the two-component method.

[0015] However, it is also possible to use as the sealing element a sealing lip which is injection-molded directly on the joint housing on the side of the housing opening or on the bearing shell or a sealing lip clamped between the bearing shell and the inner surface of the housing recess, the sealing lip being in contact with the joint ball under elastic pretension. The sealing lip has a cross section tapering to a tip, so that it causes a wiping effect on the joint ball with its tip.

[0016] The sealing element may consist of a thermoplastic material, e.g., POM, PUR, polyamide (PA), rubber or other elastomer materials, which makes possible both its simple manufacture and its simple connection to the joint housing and the bearing shell.

[0017] Furthermore, it is advantageous for the sealing surface of the sealing element which is in contact with the joint ball to have an additional coating consisting of a low-friction material. This may be, e.g., teflon or another suitable material.

[0018] In addition, it is possible in the case of a ball-and-socket joint according to the present invention to artificially embrittle the sealing surface of the sealing element being in contact with the joint ball after its preparation, which improves especially the sealing effect as a consequence of the resulting enlargement of the surface.

[0019] To avoid the introduction of contaminants into the area between the bearing shell and the joint ball, it is, furthermore, advantageous to provide a smooth transition from the joint ball to the pin section of the joint pin, i.e., to keep the radius R of transition between the joint ball and the pin section of the joint pin at a minimum. There shall be no flute in this area according to the present invention.

[0020] The present invention will be explained in greater detail below on the basis of an exemplary embodiment. In the drawings,

[0021]FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a detail of a ball-and-socket joint according to the state of the art,

[0022]FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of a detail of a ball-and-socket joint according to the present invention, and

[0023]FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of a detail of another ball-and-socket joint according to the present invention.

[0024] The figures show as an example a ball-and-socket joint known from the state of the art as well as two ball-and-socket joints according to the present invention.

[0025]FIG. 1 shows prior-art embodiments, which have especially the drawback that a flute 12 is present in the transition area between the joint ball 2 and the pin section of the joint pin 10. During its movement, the joint pin 10 pivotable in the direction of arrow A transports contaminants, which are present in the said flute 12, directly into the bearing surface between the bearing shell 4 and the joint ball 2, which clearly appears from the view in FIG. 1.

[0026] A joint ball 2 of a joint pin 10, which joint ball is provided with a surface protection, is arranged in the housing recess 6 of a joint housing I according to the present invention which is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The joint ball is mounted in the bearing shell 4 movably in a plurality of directions of movement. The bearing shell 4 is likewise inserted into the housing recess 6. A sealing bellows 7 is used as a grease reservoir and to seal the movable ball-and-socket joint components against the environment. It is in contact with the joint housing 1, on the one hand, and with the joint pin 10, on the other hand. The joint housing 1 is provided with a housing opening 5 on the side on which the pin exits. Opposite this housing opening, it is closed with a closing cover 8. This cover is fixed in the joint housing 1 by the deformation of the material of a housing edge 11. To fix the position of the bearing shell 4, a tolerance ring 9 is inserted between the closing cover 8 and the bearing shell 4.

[0027] In the embodiment according to FIG. 2, a sealing element 3 in the form of a sealing ring, which is in sliding contact with the surface of the joint ball under elastic pretension and is a rubber ring, is vulcanized to the bearing shell 4 on the housing opening side 5 of the joint housing 1.

[0028] In contrast, the embodiment in FIG. 3 shows as the sealing element 3 a sealing lip which is vulcanized to the joint housing 1 and is in contact with the surface of the joint ball under elastic pretension. Both embodiments of a ball-and-socket joint according to the present invention have an extremely small radius in the transition area between the joint ball 2 and the pin section of the joint pin 10, so that a flute is avoided in this area.

[0029] List of Reference Numbers Used

[0030]1 Joint housing

[0031]2 Joint ball

[0032]3 Sealing element

[0033]4 Bearing shell

[0034]5 Housing opening

[0035]6 Housing recess

[0036]7 Sealing bellows

[0037]8 cover

[0038]9 Tolerance ring

[0039]10 Joint pin

[0040]11 Housing edge

[0041]12 Flute 

1. Ball-and-socket joint comprising a joint housing which is open on at least one side with a housing recess, with a joint pin mounted in the housing recess with its joint ball provided with a surface protection, whose pin section projects from a housing opening, with a bearing shell arranged between the joint housing and the joint ball, as well as with a sealing bellows between the joint housing and the joint pin, characterized in that a said sealing element (3), which is in sliding contact with the joint ball under elastic pretension, is arranged between the said joint housing (1) and the said joint ball (2).
 2. Ball-and-socket joint in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the said sealing element (3) is a ring, which is made in one piece with the said bearing shell (4) and which establishes a sealing connection between the surface of the said joint ball (2) and the inner surface of the said housing recess (6) on the side of the said housing opening (5).
 3. Ball-and-socket joint in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the said sealing element (3) is a sealing ring which is vulcanized or bonded to the open side of the said bearing shell (4) or a sealing ring made in one piece with the said bearing shell (4) according to the two-component method.
 4. Ball-and-socket joint in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the said sealing element (3) is a sealing lip, which is injection molded on the joint housing on the side of the said housing opening (5) and is in contact with the said joint ball (2) under elastic pretension.
 5. Ball-and-socket joint in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the said sealing element (3) is a sealing lip, which is injection molded to the said bearing shell (4) on the side of the said housing opening (5) or a sealing lip clamped between the said bearing shell (4) and the inner surface of the said housing recess (6) and is in contact with the said joint ball (2) under elastic pretension.
 6. Ball-and-socket joint in accordance with one of the above claims, characterized in that the said sealing element (3) consists of a thermoplastic material, e.g., POM, polyamide (PA), PUR, rubber or elastomer material or a multicomponent elastic material.
 7. Ball-and-socket joint in accordance with one of the above claims, characterized in that the sealing surface of the said sealing element (3) which is in contact with the said joint ball (2) has a coating consisting of a low-friction material.
 8. Ball-and-socket joint in accordance with one of the above claims, characterized in that the sealing surface of the said sealing element (3) which is in contact with the said joint ball (2) is embrittled after its preparation.
 9. Ball-and-socket joint in accordance with one of the above claims, characterized in that the outside diameter of the said joint ball (2) passes over smoothly into the pin section of the said joint pin (10), i.e., the transition radius R between the said joint ball (2) and the pin section of the said joint pin (10) is kept at a minimum or is not present at all, and the maximum surface roughness (Ry) of the joint ball is between 1 μm and 5 μm. 